First-of-its-Kind Facial Recognition Vending Machine at KLIA2

July 2, 2018

GOASIAPLUS magazine, a fast-growing travel and lifestyle publication, today unveiled Malaysia’s first and only facial recognition vending machine for the magazine at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (klia2).

The unique vending machine is currently located at Level 3 (Departure) at the gateway@klia2 mall.

“GOASIAPLUS is a travel magazine and website for all travellers to discover the wonders of Asia through shopping, food, culture and travel. Our monthly publication often comes with free gifts or product samples and we believe that this vending machine is a clever way to ensure that travelers and members of the public have a fair opportunity to obtain a copy of our free-of-charge magazine,” explains John So, Director of Publishcom Asia Sdn Bhd, the publisher of GOASIAPLUS magazine.

According to So, the vending machine utilises a special face recognition software to distinguish an individual’s facial features through pre-determined algorithms and then dispenses one copy per individual on a monthly basis. “In line with privacy laws, there is no facial image or data collected and re-used by GOASIAPLUS in anyway. This platform is strictly used to control distribution and all data is flushed at the end of each month,” So reiterated.

“This innovative platform to distribute GOASIAPLUS reflects one of the many ways our magazine is challenging the norm and reinvigorating the relevancy of print media in the media industry. While we are growing our digital platforms, we strongly believe that the physical touch-and-feel of a print publication like GOASIAPLUS magazine can connect to readers on a different plane. That is why we are experiencing strong readership growth as well as an uptick of advertising revenue on a quarter to quarter basis,” So concluded.

All one has to do to get a copy of GOASIAPLUS from the vending machine is to scan his or her face in front of the camera, press a designated button and a magazine will be dispensed accordingly. GOASIAPLUS will start by placing 5000 copies monthly in the vending machine. In addition, a further 7,000 copies are available in magazine stands in strategic locations throughout both KLIA and klia2.

Travellers Yannie, Miyun, Jena and Li-Yan from Vietnam

GOASIAPLUS magazine currently has a circulation of 12,000 copies. In addition to being distributed for free at KLIA and klia2, the magazine is also exclusively available in departure terminal of KLIA Ekspres at KL Sentral, and inside Aerobus and Yoyo Bus airport shuttles that are servicing over 300,000 travellers monthly.

GOASIAPLUS is a travel website for all tourists to discover the wonders of Asia through shopping, food, culture and travelling. It is associated with our GOASIAPLUS magazine which is distributed in Malaysian airports at KLIA and klia2 alongside Aerobus and Yoyo Bus airport shuttles.